Comment: The following leader article appeared in the Cyprus Weekly of Nicosia on 21 May 2004.

Stop blaming Tassos

"...the Annan Plan was anything but balanced, or fair, and that it was unacceptable above all because it violated basic human rights and ignored both the relevant Security Council resolutions demanding the wirthdrawal of the Turkish troops and settlers and the return of the refugees, something also backed by the judgements of the Human Rights Court of the Council of Europe, which were also ignored."

Make the plan acceptable

Those protagonists of the Annan Plan, the United States, Britain
and Annan himself together with Alvaro de Soto, who played a major role
in its drafting, unite in blaming President Papadopoulos’ emotional TV
address just before the April 24 referendum for the overwhelming “No’’
Greek Cypriot vote.

They insist the Plan is fair and balanced, serving the interests of
both sides. They maintain that the Greek Cypriots would have accepted
it but for the Papadopoulos extortion for them to reject it.

This is nothing but an excuse by the Plan’s supporters to hide
their misjudgement of the situastion and the Greek Cypriot feeling as
poll had been predicting a massive “No’’ in the referendum all along,
and long before the Papadopoulos address.

One small reflection of this feeling is the viewpoint in the Feb. 6
issue of this newspaper. This declared bluntly that the Annan Plan was
anything but balanced, or fair, and that it was unacceptable above all
because it violated basic human rights and ignored both the relevant
Security Council resolutions demanding the wirthdrawal of the Turkish
troops and settlers and the return of the refugees, something also
backed by the judgements of the Human Rights Court of the Council of
Europe, which were also ignored.

This view remains valid today. Kofi Annan should not try to cover
up the inherent weakness and unacceptable provisions of his plan in his
forthcoming report to the Security Council. He should, instead, save the
situation, and his reputation, by agreeing to the necessary amendments
to make his plan not simply acceptable, but above all compatible with UN
and Human Rights principles, and the EU acquis withiut any derogations.
It’s that simple!."